The Welfare and Institutions Code section 4648(a)(6)(D) was amended to require the IPP planning team to review the cost of providing services or supports of comparable quality by different providers and to choose the least costly available provider, including transportation, who is able to accomplish all or part of the consumer's IPP, consistent with the particular needs of the consumer and family as identified in the IPP. In determining the least costly provider, the availability of federal financial participation shall be considered. The consumer is not required to use the least costly provider if it will result in the consumer moving from an existing provider of services or supports to more restrictive or less integrated services or supports.

​Kea-Live provides for this requirement with its Least Costly Vendor function. The following screen shows the function which allows the case manager to search for specific service codes. In addition, the user can confine the search to specific zip codes, for example, at or near the consumers residence.

A useful feature of the Least Costly Vendor is the vendor map, based on the consumers address, of the vendors listed.